Objectives
The main objectives of REGDUALOSA are:
- Assess the significance of the dual-use and defence industry across European territories, focusing on strategic, economic, and preparedness dimensions.
- Analyse and benchmark how selected European regions design and implement innovation policies to strengthen dual-use and defence capacities to make the most of the growing defence market. These regions are specialised in three critical technologies for European Strategic Autonomy: Aerial Robots and Drones, Space Technologies, and Cyberdefence. The analysis will consider:
- Place-based characteristics, proximity to areas of conflict, innovation maturity, and regional development levels.
- Governance factors, including multilevel coordination and policy alignment between EU, national, and regional levels.
- Funding dynamics, including the challenges of funding fragmentation and the role of key instruments (European Regional Development Fund, Horizon Europe, European Defence Fund, European Space Agency programmes, and national/local funding).
- Opportunities to create synergies, for example through initiatives such as the STEP seal
- Formulate actionable, evidence-based policy recommendations for future European frameworks, as well as national and regional policy agendas.
Duration
The REGDUALOSA Exploratory Research Activity lasted between 1 March 2024 and 31 March 2025.
Partners
The Consejería de Política Industrial y Energía is the department of the Junta de Andalucía in charge of the autonomous competences regarding industrial, mining and energy activities, as well as economic cooperation and the promotion of initiatives and actions in these fields.
The main responsibility of the Marshal Office of the Podkarpackie region is to support the activities of the Board, the executive body of the region, the regional parliament and the Marshal. Its main activitiest encompass the preparation of regional development strategy, and development and implementation of regional policy measures.
The Department of National Cyber Security manages, organises and coordinates nationwide cyber security both domestically and internationally, develops the relevant policies and development plans and monitor their implementation and performance, lead initiatives and prepare draft legislation regulating the area.
Key outputs
- REGDUALOSA: The innovation journey towards territorial preparedness. All we have learnt from the European territories about how innovation policies can leverage defence and dual-use industries and propel territorial resilience. Read the publication
- Preliminary Survey of REGDUALOSA Panel Report carried out in the European regions in 2024. Read the results.
- Technical report on three territorial case studies. Available soon.
- Podkarpackie’s Drone Ecosystem: Unlocking Regional Potential through Dual-Use and Defence (Poland)
- Andalusia, an Aerospace Region: Defence Tradition and Diversification into New Opportunities in the Space Industry (Spain)
- Estonia, Digital Frontier: From Threat to Excellence in Cyberdefence as a driver of competitiveness
- Final JRC policy brief. Regions, Defence & Dual Use Industry. Territorial Preparedness and Competitiveness. Available soon.
Contact us
If you have further questions, please contact Carmen Sillero at carmen [dot] sillero-illanes
ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (carmen[dot]sillero-illanes[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
Key references
- A modernised Cohesion policy: The mid-term review: In this communication, the European Commission is revising the EU's cohesion policy to better support EU competitiveness and decarbonisation, defence and security, the Eastern border regions as well as affordable housing, water resilience, and the energy transition.
- European Preparedness Strategy: The European Union is facing unprecedented threats – from geopolitical tensions and conflicts, cybersecurity and information manipulation risks, to climate change and increasing risks of natural hazards. To boost the EU's ability to anticipate, prevent, and respond to these threats, the Commission has presented the preparedness union strategy.
- Communication - accomodating defence expenditure: The Commission has invited Member States to activate the national escape clause of the Stability and Growth Pact, which will provide them additional budgetary space to increase their defence spending, within the EU fiscal rules.
- Security Action for Europe - SAFE Regulation: A new financial instrument that will help countries invest in key defence areas like missile defence, drones, and cyber security. The funds will be raised on capital markets and disbursed to interested Member States upon demand, based on national plans. SAFE will encourage Member States to spend better, together and European.
- ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030: Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030.
- Coordinated annual review on defence 2024: Approved by Ministers of Defence on 19 November, the 2024 CARD report comes at a critical moment when defence policy and cooperation are at the top of the EU’s political agenda. Accordingly, it includes actionable collaborative opportunities to enable faster convergence between Member States and the launch of new projects.
- Niinistö report: Former President of Finland Sauli Niinistö presents recommendations to enhance Europe's civilian and defence preparedness and readiness in a volatile geopolitical landscape.
- EDA Action plan for autonomous systems: Member States tasked the European Defence Agency to develop a comprehensive Action Plan on Autonomous Systems (APAS), to accelerate the development of highly effective, efficient, and reliable autonomous systems for land, air, maritime, and cross-domain operations.
- Draghi report: The report looks at the challenges faced by the industry and companies in the Single Market. Draghi believes the EU can strengthen its defence and space industries, enhancing its strategic autonomy and global competitiveness in these critical sector.
- The European Defence Industrial Strategy: The Commission and the High Representative, in coordination with the European Defence Agency, present the first-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS), that sets a vision for the European defence industrial policy until 2035.
